fishing in Clayoquot Sound

Clayoquot Sound and its offshore waters present fishers with a multitude of sustainable fishing options on a nearly year-round basis. Anglers of all levels can get out on the water, learn about the local ecosystem and possibly come home with fresh seafood! Winter and spring highlights include trap fishing for spot prawns and dungeness crab while excellent bottom fish fishing happens March through November. Chinook salmon can be pursued year-round, and coho salmon and albacore tuna round out summer and fall.

saltwater fishing

Our member fishing charter outfitters are equipped with the gear, local knowledge and skills to take you where the fish are.

 

While the main goal for many people is to target salmon offshore, our waters are also home to large bottomfish like halibut, lingcod and rockfish. Delicate spot prawns can be fished in winter and spring, and there’s also Dungeness crab, known for its sweet, mild flavour. Fishing charters can be generally scheduled as a full ten-hour day, or a five or six hour half day.  

If you’re interested in an all-ages boating trip, some outfitters offer a tour where distances travelled from the harbour are shorter than for a standard offshore charter, staying inshore (on our calmer inlet waters) or going slightly offshore. The fun can include learning to jig, setting and retrieving crab traps and some wildlife viewing.

Last but certainly not least in the saltwater category is fly fishing. It’s an art, a skill and a sport. Get set up with a fly fishing lesson and you may just come away from it with fish – and a lifelong drive to perfect that cast.

fresh water fly fishing

This is fly fishing paradise, where you’ll find adventure (and freshwater species) beyond Tofino’s harbour.  

 

 

Pack up and board a seaplane or a helicopter to access the remote streams and lakes of Clayoquot Sound. Cutthroat, Rainbow and the feisty Steelhead trout inhabit these waters. The rule here is strictly catch-and-release, so you may want to have a camera handy for the victory shot.

You’ll need a printed fishing licence for any kind of fishing you decide to do, saltwater or freshwater – even if you decide to fish from the beach.

Saltwater fishing? Apply for a tidal-water sport fishing licence here.
Freshwater fishing? Apply for a freshwater fishing licence here.

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